Maths at Colden

Intent: what are we trying to achieve with our curriculum?

Our intent is to build long-lasting learning through the progressive acquisition of knowledge and skills and retrieval practice based on a mastery approach to teaching. This will make sure that our children know and remember more because they are taught through both well-timed repetition and carefully planned tasks to introduce new learning. We believe that all children can be confident mathematicians with hard work, effort and good, supportive teaching. Importantly, we want children to enjoy their learning so that they are positive about themselves as mathematicians.

Inclusion

Colden is an inclusive school. For those children with SEND and/or deemed ‘vulnerable’, adjustments are made based upon individual needs. These may be to the curriculum itself or to access arrangements. At the same time, the importance of fostering independence and developing the confidence and ability to meet appropriate challenges is understood and promoted.

Implementation: what are we trying to achieve with our curriculum?

There is a minimum of 5 hours per week to ensure coverage of content and time for review and revision. Staff use the White Rose Maths schemes of work to help plan sequences of learning. They also make use of their high-quality resources to support independent learning.

This year, we are involved in a national project, Mastering Number. This is a research-informed project, being led by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) and takes place from Reception to Year 2. It aims to develop fluency in number facts and develop ‘number sense’– a flexibility with number that employs reasoning about mathematical structure and relationships. Through the use of visual representations via ‘rekenreks’ (an abacus-type resource) and through structured repetition, children develop their ‘automaticity’. When their number sense has become ‘automatic’, this frees up their working memory to be able to take on board new learning, apply their learning to reasoning and problem-solving and to think critically.

These sessions are taught in addition to the daily Maths lesson during which all children experience fluency, reasoning and problem solving regardless of ability with modelling expected at each stage. Age-related visual representation including bar modelling is used to support reasoning and problem solving.  Talk is encouraged and children work collaboratively and independently to demonstrate understanding. Marking is completed where possible during the lesson so as to provide prompt feedback and address misconceptions. At the end of a unit of work the children are assessed with interventions undertaken as required.

Impact: what difference is our curriculum making to pupils?

The successful approach at Colden results in a fun, engaging, high-quality maths education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. In pupil interviews, children express their enjoyment of Maths and are motivated learners with a developing sound mathematical understanding.

The impact of our Maths teaching is measured at the end of each unit of work, each term and again at key national assessment points. These are at the end of Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 as well as the Year 4 multiplication screen.

Equal Opportunities

The school is committed to providing equal opportunities for all, regardless of race, faith, gender or capability in all aspects of school. We promote self and mutual respect and a caring and non-judgmental attitude throughout the school.